Milk pad



D. E. PIERCE Oct. 17, 1939.

MILK PAD Filed Sept. 21, 1957 Janala'i. Pi erqe Patented Oct. 17, 1939PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to crates and more particularly to an improvedmeans in combination with a crate adapted to hold bottles, such as milkbottles or the like, so as to keep the bottles in a cooled condition inorder to hold back the growth of bacteria in the bottles.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved cooling means inthe form of a spongelike pad which is adapted to be placed over the topsof bottles which are positioned in crates and which is so constructedthat the upper ends or necks of the bottles will be enclosed and cooledthrough the evaporation of the fluid contained in the sponge-like pad.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pad or sponge memberwhich is adapted to be constructed out of cellular material, thematerial being formed after the manner of a sponge and provided withrecesses and slots to receive the upper ends of bottles and engage overthe upper ends of partitions or wires forming part of the crate.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improvedmethod of maintaining milk bottles or the like in a cooled state duringthe transportation of the bottles so as to prevent the growth ofbacteria in the milk contained in the bottles.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several view,

Figure l is an inverted perspective view of a cellular pad constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a crate having a pad engaging over thebottles disposed therein.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l0 designates generally a cratebody which is formed of upstanding walls II and a bottom wall l3.Disposed within the box-like structure formed by the upstanding walls IIand the bottom wall l3 are a plurality of intersecting wires l2 formingbottle compartments to receive bottles B in an upstanding position.These partitions or wires l2 may be positioned at any suitable pointdownwardly from the upper edges of the upstanding side walls II.

In order to provide a means whereby the tops of the bottles B may bemaintained'in a relatively cooled condition during the time that thebottles leave the creamery and while in transport,

I have provided a sponge-like pad member, generally designated as M,which is adapted to engage over the necks and upper ends of the bottlesB and to be positioned substantially entirely within the crate Ill. Thesponge member M in the present instance is constructed of cellularmaterial and is of a size to substantially fill and thus seal the openupper end of the crate l0.- This sponge member I4 is providedintermediate the opposite ends thereof with a plurality of intersectingslots I5 and I5 dividing the body of the sponge member [4 into blockmembers l6. These block members I6 are substantially square in plan andare adapted to engage in the respective compartments formed by theintersecting partition wires l2. Each block I6 is provided insubstantially the center thereof with a tapering recess IT in which theneck I 8 of the bottle B is snugly received. There are as many blocks ISin the sponge member M as there are partitions or compartments acrossthe crate l0. It will, therefore, be understood that I do not wish to belimited to the particular number of block members l6 herein disclosed asbeing connected together.

In the use of this cooling member M, the mem ber I4 is adapted to bemoistened as by relatively cool water or the like, and this member isthen placed over the necks l8 of the bottles B disposed in the crateIll. The necks l8 of the bottles B will be snugly engaged in the severalrecesses ll of the sponge member l4 and the partition bars [2 will bepositioned in the slots l5 and I5 which divide the body of the spongemember l4 into individual bottle cooling members I 6.

By reason of the material of which the sponge member I4 is constructed,the evaporation of the water is facilitated so that this evaporatedwater will maintain the bottles in a cooled condition. It will beunderstood that after the crate H) has been delivered to the consigneethe pads l4 may be readily removed and the bottles then put inrefrigerating or other cooling means. This improved method ofmaintaining milk bottles in a cooled condition during the transportationthereof will eliminate the necessity of placing ice or the like over thebottles.

It will, of course, be noted that the tapered recesses l1 formed in oneface of the pad stop short of the other face thereof as do also theright angularly disposed and intersecting slots [5 and I5 so that whenthe pad is inserted in the open end of a crate, snugly filling theentrance opening thereof, the cellular or otherwise solid unbroken outersurface of the pad will effectually seal the end of the crate andeffectually and completely cover and enclose the adjoining ends oftransversely disposed slot between each pair of openings to receive apartition means in a bottle crate to support the member within thecrate.

2. The combination with a bottle crate having an open end, of asponge-like pad of a size snugly to fit said open end, said pad beingformed in one of its faces with a plurality of bottle receiving openingsstopping short of the opposite face of the pad and between said bottlereceiving openings and in the same face as said recesses with aplurality of intersecting slots also stopping short of the opposite faceof the pad and spaced from the walls of the recesses, the crate beingprovided with bottle partitions adapted to register and be received insaid slots.

DONALD E. PIERCE.

